We all want to be happy. We all want to have a life free from suffering. In Buddhist literature, we are reminded that the way to true happiness is through developing a sense of inner peace.
Lots of things may give us moments of happiness, a lovely holiday, a beautiful sunset, the thrill of new material objects, but these moments of happiness are transitory. Inner peace will give you an overriding sense of contentment and deep happiness.
What can you do today to promote a sense of inner peace? It may be sitting quietly, going for a walk or listening to some music. Whatever activities you partake in, can you remind yourself that your aim is to experience inner peace, so to avoid anything that disturbs that peace.
This doesn’t mean not engaging with the outside world, but trying to change the way you interact with it and others.
If someone annoys you by something they say or do, can you let it go? If something doesn’t go to plan, can you allow that? If your body is experiencing something you are not happy with, can you accept that, do whatever you can to change that and then let go of the need for it to be different?
If your focus is on developing a sense of inner peace, you will have to let go of your need to be right, your tendency to judge yourself and others, your tendencies to gossip and criticise, your inner frustrations about things not being how you think they should be.
This is a practise and a work in progress. It doesn’t come overnight. It requires discipline. But developing a sense of inner peace is definitely worth working towards.